Saturday, September 15, 2012

You Can't Go If You Don't Know! - An Introduction to CAP-TX

Hello and welcome to the latest addition to The JediCole Universe, Convention Awareness Project - TX. As a part of the convention scene in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area for more than half of my life I can certainly say that conventions are in my blood.

A Brief History of the Convention Awareness Project

Way back in 2005 Mrs. JediCole and I were looking forward to celebrating the second anniversary of the A Piece of the Action Collectibles Mini Store in Arlington, Texas and our second Free Comic Book Day when I had a brainstorm. In its first year our little weekend only comic and collectibles shop was heavily subsidized by APOTAC's sales at conventions. And so often when we returned the weekend following a great number of our customers were surprised that there ARE conventions in the DFW area or other parts of Texas. And one day it hit me. Convention Awareness Day! Within three weeks I went from concept to actual event held at the now non-existent Festival Marketplace Mall. On May 7, 2005 we played host to representatives of six conventions in Texas including All-Con, Fen-Con and A-Kon!

As the years passed I had only one other opportunity to present such an event, at one of APOTAC's Comic, Toy, and Collectibles Swap Meets (February 16, 2008) in Grand Prairie, but my love of the Texas convention scene has never died. At intervals I have planned to start the project anew as the Convention Awareness Project and the idea went through various incarnations but never bore fruit. Until now! With the JediCole Universe website up and running full steam it was time to give this project an official name and an official home seven years after the idea entered the Ever-Ticking Brain. This is just the beginning of what I hope to be the ultimate resource for conventions of fan interest in the Lone Star State!So now that the project is on its feet at last, check back here to learn about conventions all around Texas. In the coming weeks and months a variety of conventions in the state will be individually profiled and an updated listing of shows will begin to appear. If you know of a sci-fi, comic, gaming, fantasy, literary, anime, movie/television or other fan-driven convention or event within Texas please let me know and it will be covered here. If you are the promoter of such a show I want to talk to you!You can check out the first profile of a convention in Texas, Galaxy Ranger Fandays, here. And remember, "You Can't Go If You Don't Know!", that's why I created the Convention Awareness Project!